Is your child up fora sports challenge?Encourage themto come test their speed, strengthand agility at the annual St. FrancisSports Medicine Sports Performance Challenge on Saturday, May 9. The event is opento male and female athletes from the 7th -12th grade. Awards and scholarships will be presented to the top performers.

675-HURT is your 24/7 hotline for athletic and active health care. If you have any injury questions, need treatment advice or need to schedule an orthopedic appointment, then call us.

We would also be glad to send one of our ATC's to cover your event or speak to your group free of charge.

Greetings!

As spring begins, we're all heading back outdoors. With high school baseball and softball in full swing (pardon the pun), this month's feature is on throwing injuries If you have ideas for future topics, please email and let us know!

One of the biggest problems that young baseball and softball pitchers face is injuries to the elbow. When I worked in college athletics, we would see many baseball players who had pre-existing elbow problems that either ended or changed their careers. Many of them had chronic tendonitis or ulnar collateral ligament instability.To understand these conditions, it helps to understand the anatomy of the arm. The forearm has both tendons and ligaments. The tendons of the forearm attach to the inside and the outer side of the elbow, and the two primary ligaments (ulnar collateral and radial collateral) attach to the inner and outer sides of the elbow, respectively.

With repetitive stress, tendons in the elbow area can become inflamed, causing pain on either side of the elbow when throwing. Repetitive stress and improper mechanics also can cause ligaments to develop micro tears, or even tears to the point that they rupture.

There are several things that can be done to prevent these problems, including proper body mechanics, strengthening exercises, and avoiding risky pitches and high pitch counts. Read more...

Ask the Expert:Alan Posta, MD | Carolina Orthopaedic Associates

QWhat trends have you noticed when it comes to adolescent baseball and softball players?

A"Most adolescent elbow injuries are due to a combination of overuse, poor mechanics and muscle imbalance during a time of rapid growth. Most people do not realize that 50% of the power generated during the pitching motion comes from the lower extremity. There has been a trend towards more ulnar collateral injuries in younger athletes, which can be attributed to throwing curve balls and sliders at too early an age. USA Baseball has come up with age specific guidelines for not only the number of pitches thrown but the type of pitch thrown."